Huánzhōu

Huanzhou lies on the Huan River in the dry uplands north of Qingyang, where the river winds south through loess hills and narrow valleys. During the Song this district faced the Western Xia frontier and gave its name, together with Qingzhou, to the Huanqing circuit, which Fan Zhongyan commanded in the 1040s; a chain of forts, such as Sweet Water Fort, guarded the approaches. Under the Ming the old prefecture became Huan County, under Qingyang Prefecture. Its position between the cultivated valleys and the northern frontier ensured that roads and fortified posts remained important to the district.